


Nerves

by tatooedlaura



Series: Life, Part 2 [33]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 18:49:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatooedlaura/pseuds/tatooedlaura
Summary: He loved that he could feel her falling asleep, muscles slacking, melting into him, shaping, filling in any and all available space, “how about tomorrow, I go get some of those color splotch thingies and we start planning?”





	Nerves

Endoscopic sinus surgery sounded much more professional than nosey snipping but she let him call it that, knowing his whistling in the dark move better than he did. She was drifting under half a pill of something to relax her while she waited her turn for surgery when she tugged his sleeve, trying to get his attention, even though, if she’d been more coherent, she would have noticed he hadn’t taken his eyes off her yet, “Muller?”

Allowing a slight smile to graze his features, “yes?”

“Would you be this nervous if we weren’t sleeping together?”

Speechlessness settled for half a moment before, “um, I’m gonna tell you a little secret, all right? Will you promise not to tell anyone else? Not even Maggie?”

Nodding her head made the room sway, extra moments needed to catch up to the speed of her wobbling eyes, “yes.”

“I would be this nervous regardless of what was going on between us. You’re my best friend and you know it and that’s what best friends do … they panic at the slightest hint of scary things and live in a nervous bubble until said scary thing is taken care of and then we settle into non-constructive hidden worry that scary things may return.” Running his fingers over her ear, sliding them through her hair, settling thumb against cheek, “it’s an ugly cycle that constantly reminds us that we ought to hug our peoples all the time and tell them we love them.”

“So, if you never saw me naked again, you’d still worry about me?”

That warranted a kiss and a nuzzle of his nose with hers, “I will worry about you until the end of time, naked or not and I will love you even longer.”

“Even if I never like pie?”

“We’ll talk about that later.”

The nurse came in a few moments later and wheeling her away, Mulder moved to a chair in the waiting room, thumb nail in mouth, knee jiggling a steady beat of anxiety.

&&&&&&&&

She was just as amusing coming off anesthetic as she was when drunk and Mulder had to apologize to the easy-going nursing staff twice for Scully’s comments on his ass. Renee, trying to get Scully to wiggle her toes, told Mulder that this was much nicer than when wives began telling their husbands about affairs or husbands began telling wives they secretly wear high heels, “now those are uncomfortable situations. Trust me. This is nothing and your wife won’t remember any of it, believe me.”

“Do I tell her?”

Renee shook her head, watching as Scully’s toes began creaking to life, “up to you. I’d probably be embarrassed but Ginny,” nodding her head towards the other nurse in the area, “she’d laugh and start commenting on other parts of her husband she enjoyed.” Giving Mulder a relaxed smile, “although she can hear us at this point so mum’s the word if that’s your choice.”

Mulder mummed up.

For now.

The afternoon was quiet, Scully sleeping it off, mouth open, nose packed, drooling enough to make Mulder think he might be in need of an ark or a canoe sometime in the near future. He cleaned her up every so often and changed the towel underneath her head and waited, doing manly type things around her apartment, finishing up laundry, belching in the kitchen, taking his own well-earned nap in the recliner, eventually thinking about dinner and whipping up a fairly impressive spaghetti with items on hand, garlic bread included. He was on his second helping when Scully finally began blinking in his direction, hands kneading the blanket he’d spread over her, “Mulder?”

Setting plate down and getting up, he crouched over her, pushing back flattened hair and resting his palm against her temple, “hey there. Wondered when you’d wake back up.”

“Why am I sitting up?”

“The doctor said not to lay down for a few days. Remember?”

She most certainly did not but then again, she also didn’t remember anything after the anesthesiologist telling her to take a deep breath so she moved on, bladder unhappy with the amount it was holding, “can you help me to the bathroom?”

They moved slowly, Scully quite over shy bladder at this point, while Mulder stood in the doorway, shocked she was quite over her shy bladder, “you’re peeing in front of me.”

Feeling a headache coming on swift and strong, she put her hand to her forehead, “at this point, I wouldn’t care if Skinner were standing there.”

“Headache?”

“Big one.”

Hovering over her while she finished, then flushed and washed her hands, “is that normal?”

“I don’t know. I just want some pretty medicine and to be able to lay down.” She swayed in the doorway, grabbing his sides, “find me drugs please.”

He hadn’t seen her like this since the height of her chemo and ignoring the twinge of fear racing up his spine, he got her back to the couch, pills in hand and glass of water retrieved, “do you want me to call your doctor?”

Eyes closed, she whispered ‘no’ before she held her arms up to him, “sit with me.” A little rearranging and soon, he was settled behind her, back to arm of couch, Scully leaning on his chest, the crown of her head nestled under his chin. “Mulder?”

“Yeah?”

“I want to marry you and live with you and yell at you about the toilet seat being up and have you make fun of me because I sometimes put my reading glasses in the refrigerator.”

Well now …

“Where would we live? Your place or my place or do we find a new place?”

Feeling herself drifting off again, limbs heavy, head swimmy, “there’s more room here but I want to repaint it if we stay. I like your reds and browns and greens and I want it to feel like a hug coming home every day.”

He would have agreed to living on the moon with her.

“I can pack my place up tomorrow if necessary.”

“And we need to buy a new mattress, regardless.

He loved that he could feel her falling asleep, muscles slacking, melting into him, shaping, filling in any and all available space, “how about tomorrow, I go get some of those color splotch thingies and we start planning?”

The lowest ‘hmm’ in her throat was the only acknowledgement he received but it was more than enough and he sat, studying the room, holding his person tight and thanking that nameless being once again she’d found him so long ago.


End file.
